Wrench.



C. P. BURGH.

WRENCH.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. s, 191s.

1,092,1 35. Patented Apr. 1914.

Witnesses L yInventor by I Attorney;

CLARENCE P. BURCH, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

WRENCH.

Specoation of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

Application led September 8, 1913. Serial No. 788,726.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CLARENCE l?. BURCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Vashington, have invented a new and useful Nrencln of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches and more particularly to that. class of wrenches in which the thumb screw for the advancing and retracting of the movable 'aw can be either moved into engagement, or out of mesh with the teeth or rack on the wrench shank.

An object of the present invention is to provide a wrench of the above class in which t-he lever carrying t-he thumb screw thereon will be securely looked in a closed position and at the same time may easily and readily be moved outwardly, bringing the thumb screw out of mesh with the teeth of the shank of the fixed member.

A further object is to provide a movable jaw with a lever pivotally secured thereto, which lever includes a restricted portion ro tatably and slidably carrying a thumb screw thereon, the said lever further including an enlarged portion with a slot extending thereacross and in which slot is slidably mounted double headed pin adapted to engage the upstanding ears of the movable member whereby the said lever will be securely locked in what is termed a closed position.

A further object is to provide a wrench with a shank having teeth cut therealong, the upper extremities of which teeth are beveled and coacting with which are a number of beveled teeth upon a thumb screw whereby the movable jaw will be shifted longitudinally when the beveled portions of the teeth are brought into contact so that a quick and ready engagement of the thumb screw and rack bar will be had.

A further object is to provide a wrench with rack teeth cut in the shank and with a thumb screw slidably mounted upon a shaft and which shaft is pivotally secured to the movable jaw so that the thumb screw may shift along the shaft in order to bring it into mesh with the rack teeth, thus facilitating the locking of the shaft in position with the thumb screw in mesh with the rack teeth.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear `as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, the pref erable form of my invention is illustrated, in which z- Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of my improved wrench and illustrating the levei` carrying thumb screw in an open position by dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the above. Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view disclosing the structural features of the movable jaw. Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail view illustrating a modified formation of teeth of the thumb screw and shank rack bar.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, 5 is the handle of the fixedL member, which latter includes the stationary jaw 6 and the shank 7, the latter being provided with the usual teeth or rack 8, illustrated with blunt outer faces but which may be made sharp if so desired.

The movable member 9 includes the two side plates 10 bent U-shape as at 11 and which conform to the general outline of the shank 7. The side plates 10 extend upward beyond the upper extremity of the shank 7 and secured therebetween is the block 12 which may be serrated at 13 in Fig. 1 or smooth as illustrated in Fig. 2. ln this connection it might be explained that with the jaws 6 and 9 serrated as illustrated in Fig. 1, the wrench may be used to grip round articles as for instance, pipes. However, when the wrench is to be used in connection with regular nuts, the jaws are preferably formed as illustrated in Fig. 3.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the block or jaw 12 is provided with a recess so that space is had therebetween for the pivoting of the lever 13, the same being accomplished by the pivot bolt 14 extending therethrough and engaging the side plates 10. The side plates 10 are projected upwardly beyond the shank 7 at their rear extremities, to form the ears 15. The spaced ears 15--15 are provided upon their rear surfaces with the indentations or notches 16 and provide means whereby the lever 13 may be locked in a closed position, by which is meant the position wherein the lever lies parallel to the shank 7 of the handle of the wrench. rlhe lever 18 is provided with the cylindrical restricted portion 17 which slidably and rotatably mounts the thumb screw 18. Connected to the restricted portion 17 of the lever is the somewhat enlarged portion 19 of such diameter however that it readily passes between the two spaced ears 15. The enlarged portion 19 is provided with the slot 2O extending therethrough and which slot 20 is provided with an enlarged portion 21 at one end thereof which provides for the insertion of the double headed pin 22 illustrated more clearly in Fig. 4. Connected to the free end of the enlarged portion 19 is the rearwardly extending handle 28. lThe handle 23 provides for the quick and convenient movement of the ythumb screw 18 out of mesh with the rack 8 so that the sliding member. may be freely moved along the shank 7 to thereby approachor recede from the stationary jaw 6.

The double headed pin 22 includes a restricted shank or central portion 23 which fits within the slot 20 and is retained in such relation by reason of the outer heads which are adjacent thereto. A helical spring 24 is positioned upon the portion 19 of the lever and bears against the shoulder formed between the samerand the handle 28,. The spring is a compression one and bears against the double headed pin 22 and forces the same toward the forward end of the slot 20. The slot 20 is formed atsuch a position upon the lever 18 that the pin 22 will be brought forcibly against the upper portion of the ears 15 when the lever is being closed with the result that the pin will be forced backwardly and having passed beyond the extreme ends of the ears will immediately snap into the indentations or notches 16 to rigidly lock the lever in its,

lowered or closed position.

The thumb screw 18 which is slidably and rotatably mounted upon the portion 17 of the lever is of the ordinary worm type adapted to engage the teeth or rack 8 of the handle or shank of the wrench so that when the said thumb screw is turned, it will either advance the movable jaw toward or retract it away from the fixed jaw. In this connection attention is called to the fact that the thumb screw is provided with an enlarged central knurled portion 25 which provides a suitable roughened surface which the mechanic may grip and rotate the said thumb screw and at the same time it being noted that there will be no danger of the knurled portion contacting with the teeth or rack 8. The slidable manner in which the thumb screw 18 is mounted and by reason of the fact that it may move along its supporting shaft through a limited distance even when the shaft is locked in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, allows the thumb screw to shift longitudi nally so that it will properly mesh with the rack teeth irrespective of the position of the jaws. rlhus, the following remarks apply with particular force to the modified form hereinafter described when the shaft is brought down into its closed position should the thumb screw be so positioned upon the shaft as to not properly register with the rack teeth, it will of itself, shift into proper registration and mesh therewith.

The modified form of thumb screw and rack bar as illustrated in Fig. 5, provides that the movable member will be quickly shifted when the beveled portions of the thumb screw and rack bar are brought into contact so that a quick and ready meshing of the same will take place, thus doing away with the annoyance of having the thumb screw lock upon the top of the rack bar teeth andprevent the proper meshing of the same. Y

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim to be new and original with me is f Y 1 1. In a wrench the combination with a fixedmember including a handle, shank and fixed jaw; a movable Vmember* including spaced side plates'embracing the shank ofl the fixed member therebetween, a movable jaw rigidly secured to the said side plates, said side plates provided at their rear extremities with upstanding ears with notches located therein,a lever pivotally secured to said side plates, Vextending rearwardly there*- from, a thumb screw rotatably and slidably mounted on said lever, said thumb screw provided with bevel edged teeth, said lever provided with a slot extending therethrough with an enlarged portion, a double-headed pin disposed within the said slot and adapted to engage the notches of said ears, means for forcing the said double-headed pin away from the enlarged portion of said slot, and a rack bar carried by the said shank provided with bevel ended teeth coacting with`V the bevel ended teeth of the screw for the quick and ready engagement thereof.

2. A wrench comprising a fixed member including a handle, shank and fixed jaw; a

movable member slidably engagingV theV` shank and including a movable jaw, said. movable member including a pair of upwardly extending notched ears, a lever pivot-ally secured to the movable member and extending rearwardly therefrom, a thumb screw rotatably and slidably mounted upon said lever, said thumb screw provided with beveled edged teeth, said lever provided with a slot extending therethrough with and" enlarged portion, a double headed pin dis posed within said slot and adapted to engage the notches of said ears, means for In testimony that I claim the foregoing forcing the double headed pin away from as my own, I have hereto aXed my signathe enlarged portion of said slot, and a rack ture in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

bar Carried by said shank provided With CLARENCE P. BURGH. 5 beveled edged teeth coasting With the teeth Witnesses:

of the screw controlling the movement of WILLIAM T. I-IAYDEN,

said movable member. WILLIAM J PARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained fo!` five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

